Modular design of a novel wireless sensor node for smart environments

Most of the existing commercial node architectures provide little flexibility and configurability. This limitation constrains the usability of the same node across various applications, including the ambient intelligence issue. In this paper a novel architecture for the design of a modular wireless sensor node is proposed, dividing the connection and sensing functions in two separate boards. The division of the wireless transducer interface module (WTIM) in two independent boards allows to perform in a separate way the connection and sensor interfacing function of the WTIM always respecting IEEE 1451 standards. The versatility of the novel architecture has been tested in two different application scenarios. In the first application the modular node has been used in a factory to monitor the efficiency and reliability of the production line. The designed node has been experimentally tested and results shown. Concerning the second application, a smart home approach is proposed. Using different sensing boards, an architecture to monitor in a non-invasive way several home parameters has been presented.